Kegel exercises are all about self-care and self-love, something that women absolutely need! They help you tighten the muscles under your uterus, the urinary bladder, and the large intestine. For pregnant mothers and those who have just had a baby, these are a must! And for better sex? Kegels can work wonders in that area! These exercises are also called the pelvic floor workout. These were first described and demonstrated by Arnold Kegel (and hence the name), in 1948, and they have served womankind since.
So how to do Kegels?
There are a few things you need to keep in mind before you start working out on your pelvic muscles. Before you exercise,
- Your bladder must be empty
- Choose a position that you are comfortable in
- Do not overstretch
- Try to do them regularly
Suggested read: 10 best anti-aging exercises for a younger looking you
Okay! Now that we are briefed about the pre-requisites, let’s just dive into the exercises! Here are 12 Kegel exercises that are definitely going to make your vajayjay extremely happy!
1. The bridge
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To perform the bridge exercise, lie down on the floor on your back. Next, bend your knees. Make certain your feet are firmly placed on the floor. Keep hip-width distance between them. Let your arms fall lightly at your sides. Now slowly lift your pelvic area. Your glutes should be relaxed when you do this. Do not tighten the glutes. Instead, contract the pelvic muscles. Keeping the muscles engaged, slowly raise the bent legs. Now as if you were walking, first raise the left leg, bring it down, and then raise the right one. Perform these five times for each leg. Now release the pelvic muscles and lower both the legs to the floor.
This was one rep. We suggest you perform 3 of these.
2. The side leg lift
The side leg lift is one of the fun Kegel exercises for women. To perform it, lie down on the floor. Now turn to the left. Slightly bending your left knee, extend the right leg straight. Make sure your right leg is on top of your left. Your heel should be flexed. Now raise the right leg higher and bring it down. Perform 5 such lifts. During each lift, your pelvic muscles and your core must be contracted. Next, move the right leg in front of your left one instead of keeping it over the left leg. Lift and bring it down 5 times again. Next, take your right leg behind the left leg this time. Raise and lower 5 times. This was one rep. Perform 3 sets of reps for the right leg and then switch legs.
3. The butterfly
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How to do Kegels with a butterfly move? Let us help you with that!
Lie on the floor such that you are facing the ceiling. Now bend your knees and draw them in. Bring them as close as you can to your chest. Now open your legs and stretch them towards the sides. Take them as far as they go. Do not overdo any move. Take a deep breath and contract the pelvic muscles. Now tilt your pelvis frontward. As you bring your legs down to the floor, release your pelvic muscles. This was one rep. Perform five of these.
4. The breath of fire
For the Breath of fire, sit in a cross-legged position. To make yourself feel more comfortable (which is a key to perform Kegel exercises better), keep a pillow under your glutes. Make sure your back is straight and not bent at any time. Place both your hands on the knees. Slowly close your eyes and take a deep breath. As you inhale, contract your pelvic muscles. Make it a series of 10 such short and fast inhales and exhales. Keep your mouth closed so that you breathe only through your nose. Now relax. Breathe normally and do another rep of 15 short breaths.
5. The classic Kegel
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For the classic Kegel you need not be in a particular position. You can be sitting, standing or lying down, whichever position you find convenient. This workout can also be performed while you go through your daily routine, say for example, while brushing your teeth or every time you hit a brake while you are driving. So you don’t need to take out special time for these workouts, and hence, you should totally do them considering how vital they are.
Say you want to perform the classic Kegel while sitting. Now contract the pelvic muscles while taking deep breaths. Each time, hold the position for at least five seconds and breathe out releasing the muscles. Perform 15 of these.
6. Pull-in Kegels
The pull-in Kegel is a variation of the classic Kegel. For the pull-in Kegels, lie down on the floor in such a way that you are facing the ceiling. To perform these Kegel exercises you need to think of your pelvic area as a vacuum. So contract the glutes and draw your legs closer to your body, such that your knees are closer to your chin. Hold the posture for 5 seconds. Take ten breaths for each set. Perform five such sets to complete.
Suggested read: 10 awesome hip exercises that will help you tone up quickly
7. The pelvic tilt
The pelvic tilt is not at all as difficult as it sounds. Let us show you how to do Kegels which involve pelvic tilts. Release your hips to open up the pelvic area. This will increase the flow of blood to your V-zone. This move is a perfect warm up to the other exercises on the list. Stand up and place your feet hip-width apart. Keep your hands on your hips. Tilt the pelvis area forward and backward. When you thrust in the forward direction, try to contract the abs, the pelvis, and the glutes. Now exhale and release the muscles. Again, inhale and tilt it backward. Perform 10 slow reps. Follow them by 10 fast ones.
8. The hipster sideway tilt
Stand on the floor by placing your feet firmly on the ground so that you don’t lose balance. After you find your centre, place your hands on your hips. Bend a little. Now tilt your hips towards your left and then towards your right. This is a variation of the pelvic tilt where you go from front to back to front again. In the hipster, you go sideways. Perform 8 slow tilts and follow them with 8 fast ones.
9. The serpent
Stand on the floor and place your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips. Now inhale and tighten your glutes. Also, contract the ab muscles and the pelvic muscles. As you exhale, roll the hips. Keep rolling them clockwise for eight rotations. Now switch directions. Roll your hips anti-clockwise. It is important that the butt muscles and the lower abs are engaged throughout the exercise for better results.
10. The push-out Kegels
The push-out Kegel is another variation of the classic Kegel. This workout too can be performed in any posture – standing, sitting or lying down. Inhale and contract your pelvic muscles along with your glutes and ab muscles. Now as you exhale, don’t simply release the pelvic area muscles (like you did while performing the classic Kegel). Forcefully thrust out the PC muscles with strength. One complete breath is one cycle. Perform 20 of these.
11. The pleasure beads
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We have all watched the movie Fifty Shades of Grey, though we will never admit that, right? 😉 So do you remember the two tiny pleasure balls that Grey puts inside Anastasia? These pleasure balls not only serve the purpose of helping you get a sexy sensation, but a higher purpose of providing for a brilliant Kegel workout. So insert these balls and then with the help of your pelvic muscles try to lift them higher inside you. Hold them in for 5 seconds and then release and relax. Repeat the move. On the other hand, you can also leave the balls inside you for 20 minutes while you walk the dog or tidy the house a little. The pelvic muscles will naturally contract around these tiny balls.
12. The goddess
To finish up, the goddess is the perfect exercise for you. Lie down on the floor such that you face the ceiling. Now bend your knees and extend your legs out on either side. Next try and touch your heels. Grabbing your feet, pull them closer to your chest. You should still be touching your heels and your knees must be wide. Hold the posture for around 20 seconds. As you feel a nice stretch around your inner thigh, hip and pelvic region, slowly release while exhaling. This was one rep. Perform 20 of them.
Suggested read: 10 exercises for back pain that help find relief
Bonus tip
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If this is your first time at Kegs, begin with the wild child pose. Like in yoga, sit with your legs crossed. Now bend your knees as far apart as you can. You will feel a contraction in your pelvic muscles. Hold that for 15 seconds and then exhale as you release the muscles. That was one rep. Perform at least 10 of these.
Your vajajay is going to love you for this, woman! You thank us later!
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